


The Way You Are

by JamieJam93



Category: One Direction, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne - Fandom
Genre: Hurt Liam, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-09 02:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3232121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieJam93/pseuds/JamieJam93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt: A Ziam one where they don't know the other is in love with them. Liam is always teased for being the "boring" one because he doesn't drink or anything, but one day he gets dragged out and something happens which makes Zayn realize he needs to tell Liam how he feels. Maybe some side Larry? If you want to :)</p><p>Well, Tabitha, here it is, so I hope you like it :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way You Are

            Liam loved his band mates, he really did. They were his best friends; his brothers. (Although, for one certain One Direction member, the feelings he had weren’t exactly ‘brotherly.’) He would never admit his feelings, though, because the guy was his best friend and he couldn’t lose that. The friendship was the only thing that kept him going sometimes. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his life or his job, but it helped to have someone who made him excited to get out of bed and see what was in store for even the most hum-drum days.

            He knew that, in a way, his feelings were returned. Zayn considered Liam his best friend too, and he told him all the time that he loved him. Liam knew Zayn didn’t love him in the same way as he did, but that was okay. Maybe it hurt a little, but that was life. One day, he would find someone who he loved even more; someone who made him all but forget he was ever in love with Zayn.

            He hoped so, at least.

            There had been a time when Liam had dreamed that Zayn would realize he was in love with him too. He would give a long, cheesy speech about how Liam was the only one for him. They would smile and giggle to cover up the deeper emotions they were feeling and, of course, the whole thing would end with a kiss.

            But that was stupid. It would never happen. Zayn loved Liam as a best mate, but Liam was so far from his type. Zayn liked the wild ones. The loud ones. The funny ones. The pretty ones. Liam was too quiet for him. Too nice. Too responsible. Too average.

            Zayn was too kind to ever say those things, but he didn’t have to. Liam knew, just like he knew that Zayn liked Louis. Loved Louis. Maybe was in love with Louis.

            “We’re going out,” Zayn announced to his other band mates, holding tight to Louis’s waist as they got ready to leave the tour bus less than an hour after the group had finished a concert. The boys were staying in a hotel that night, and were supposed to be going to the bus just until some of the chaos outside calmed down, but, to be honest, all of them were too full of energy to be locked alone in separate hotel rooms at the moment.

            _Of course you’re going out,_ Liam thought, but didn’t say anything.

            “Anyone else want to come?” Louis asked.

            “Going to a club?” Niall asked.

            “Of course,” Louis answered with a big grin on his face, already excited for whatever shenanigans he was planning to get into.

            “Sure, I’m in,” Niall said, standing and heading to the back to get some actual clothes on.

            “Haz?” Zayn asked.

            “Yeah, I guess,” Harry said, stretching his arms above his head. “There’s nothing better to do.”

            “There’s not,” Louis agreed. “Li, I would ask you, but you never go, so…”

            “Maybe he wants to this time,” Zayn reasoned, looking at Liam and smiling. “What do you say, Li? Want to come keep me company?”

            “I think you’ll have plenty of company,” Liam commented, trying not to focus his eyes on the way Louis’s hand was touching the other man’s.

            “But I want your company,” Zayn argued, sticking his bottom lip out and crossing his arms. Liam rolled his eyes, smiling just a bit. 

            “I’ll ruin the fun.”

            “No you won’t.”

            “I bet you’ll loosen right up after we get a couple of drinks into you,” Louis said.

            “I don’t drink…,” Liam pointed out.

            “I know, but you should,” Louis told him.

            “You don’t have to drink, though,” Zayn interjected quickly, shooting Louis a look that Liam didn’t quite understand. “Just come with us. Please?”

            “Fine,” Liam sighed, a bad feeling forming in his gut. The boys always told him he worried too much, though, so he ignored it, standing along with Harry and heading out as soon as Niall had come back.

            “Payne, are you really wearing _that_ to a club?” Louis asked in disapproval.

            “I like this T-shirt,” Liam defended.

            “He looks fine, Lou,” Zayn spoke up again. “Leave him be, yeah?”

            “Of course he looks fine,” Louis said with a shrug. “I just figured he’d get laid easier if he showed off that hot bod a little more.”

            Liam choked on absolutely nothing while Zayn just shook his head.

 

            All the way to the club, Liam tried to psych himself up; convince himself this would be fun. It almost worked, but all of the positivity he’d managed to feel disappeared as soon as they reached the place. Niall and Harry ran off to check out the ladies and without even a ‘see you later,’ and Louis immediately headed to the bar, dragging Zayn along with him. Zayn, in turn, dragged Liam.

            “Six shots of whatever, please,” Louis told the bartender, offering him a big, ornery smile. The bartender smiled back, clearly enamored. Louis made everyone feel that way. Liam was both impressed and angry about it.

            “This is the best we’ve got,” the man, Jared, according to his tag, said, sliding the shot glasses to the three, but focusing mainly on the oldest band member.

            “I believe you, Jared,” Louis assured the man, slipping him some cash and also what appeared to be his phone number.

            _Oh, Louis, you poor, stupid, horny boy,_ Liam mentally scolded his friend.

            “Do you want your shots, Payno?” Louis asked, turning his body to face his friend, holding two shot glasses in his hands and waggling his eyebrows, daring Liam to take them. The younger boy narrowed his eyes.

            “I think you know the answer to that question, Lou.”

            “Come oooon, Li! Don’t be boring!”

            “Hey, Tommo, come on. It’s more for us,” Zayn reasoned. Louis seemed to think deeply about that statement for a few moments before nodding.

            Liam shifted uncomfortably, unable to stop watching as the two clinked their glasses together and downed all three shots each.

            “Yesss,” Louis hissed, reaching across the bar to take ahold of the bartender’s hand. “Jared, those were amazing, mate. You are _so_ talented.”

            Jared blushed a shade of red that was visible even with all of the strange, fluorescent club lights and Zayn turned to Liam, amused smile on his face.

            “Louis is in his element,” he said. “We’ll probably lose him in about twenty minutes or so.”

            “Isn’t that dangerous?” Liam asked, looking at Louis nervously. The older boy was sipping on some cocktail he had apparently just gotten from Jared, staring at the man like he wanted to eat him as the bartender (very reluctantly) helped other people.

            “I’m pretty sure Louis gets off on danger,” Zayn said, “but he’ll be alright. Don’t worry, okay?”

            “Okay…”

            Zayn gave Liam a big smile then and stood to kiss him on the cheek before sitting back down and pulling his friend onto his lap. It was very likely that Zayn was already tipsy.

            “Love you, Li,” he sighed, but Liam still heard and smiled as he felt Zayn bury his face into his back, his thin arms wrapped tight around Liam’s middle.

 

            Eventually, Louis convinced Liam to have one drink and, seeming quite pleased with himself after that, disappeared with Jared, who somehow convinced some other guy to take over for him for who knew how long.

            “I feel so good,” he commented, stealing Louis’s seat to give Zayn’s poor legs a break. “Like…I’m not stressed out for once in my life. I want another.”

            “Yeah?” Zayn asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

            “Yeah. How do you hail the bartender?”

            With a laugh, Zayn gestured towards the man who had taken Jared’s place.

            “I’m just ordering you what you already had because mixing alcohol is a really bad idea, okay?” Zayn verified as the worker made his way over.

            “You’re the expert,” Liam told him.

            As Liam drank, Zayn watched him, eyes lit still with amusement.

            “Your cheeks are getting pink,” he commented, brushing a finger gently against Liam’s face. The younger man giggled.

            “I think I’m a lightweight.”

            “You’re just not used to drinking. You’ll get better at it, if you want to do it more, of course.”

            “I want to do it all of the time!”

            “Let’s not get carried away.”

            “I want another one, Zaynie!”

            “One more.”

            By the time his third drink was gone, Liam was just a tad bit dizzy and his eyes felt weird, but he was happy. He was _very_ happy.

            “I have to pee,” he announced, hopping off of the stool and tumbling, only to have Zayn steady him.

            “Did you drink some more?!” a loud voice called, and Liam turned (he thought) to see Louis walking towards them with a smile on his face.

            “You’ve turned him into a proper drunk, I think, Lou,” Zayn teased, running a finger along Liam’s waistline for who knew what reason, but Liam wasn’t going to complain.

            “This is a proud day,” Louis said, putting a hand over his heart and sniffling dramatically. Liam thought it was the funniest thing ever, and Louis beamed.

            “Wow. Okay. Well, lads, I just came to ask if you would like to join Jared and me. We’re about to _really_ get this party started.”

            “I’m not quite sure that’s a good idea…,” Zayn remarked.

            “But I want to party!” Liam said, turning and falling into Zayn as he gave him his best puppy pout.

            “Yeah, Zayn, he wants to party,” Louis interjected. “Besides, we’re not going to do anything _bad_.”

            “Fine,” Zayn sighed, looking into Liam’s unfocused eyes worriedly before turning to Louis. “I’m going to go see what Harry and Niall are up to and then I’ll come find you guys. Oh, and Liam has to go to the bathroom so maybe just make sure he doesn’t fall into the toilet.”

            “I’m on it,” Louis assured him, linking arms with Liam. “Come on, Payno! You get to have your first experience trying to aim while you can’t even stand straight! It’s a fun time.”

            “I’m just tipsy,” Liam felt the need to announce. Louis pet his head.

            After peeing (which he sat down to do, thank you very much), Liam let Louis lead him back to Jared and a few other people whom Liam had never seen in his life.

            “Sorry it took a few minutes,” Louis told Jared, giving him an apology kiss and _whoa_ , didn’t they just meet? Louis was a slut.

            That thought made Liam giggle again. Jared smiled at him.

            “Someone seems a lot more relaxed.”

            “I’m only tipsy,” Liam explained.

            “Nothing wrong with that. Liam, I actually have someone I want you to meet.”

            Louis, who had been straddling Jared, leaving hickeys all over the man’s smooth, pale neck, suddenly pulled back, looking at his new (and probably temporary) lover with an emotion in his eyes that Liam didn’t care to read.

            “Relax, beautiful,” Jared told the singer, brushing a finger along his lips before giving him a kiss. “She’ll take good care of him. She’s my best friend, you can trust her.”

            “Liam doesn’t do that, Jay,” Louis said, trying to be quiet, but he wasn’t quiet by nature, like, at all, so Liam still heard.

            “Wait, what?” he asked. They ignored him.

            “You also said he doesn’t drink,” Jared pointed out. “It seems that Liam is up to trying new things tonight.”

            “He’s done plenty of new things tonight, and I don’t think he’s in the right state of mind to be making any decisions along those lines.”

            “He’s just tipsy, Lou-Lou.”

            “You know that’s bullshit.”

            “I am right here,” Liam pointed out. Jared looked over at him and smiled.

            “Sit down, Liam, please.”

            Liam obeyed, squeezing in between Louis, who had removed himself from Jared’s lap, and the couch’s arm.

            “How do you feel about meeting Molly?” Jared asked, smiling widely at him.

            “I don’t know who Molly is,” Liam said, returning the smile.

            “Ecstasy, Liam,” Louis said. “Molly is Ecstasy.”

            “Oh,” Liam said, smile turning to a frown. “I don’t think so…”

            “Come on,” Jared urged. “It’s safe. Your friend here already had one and he’s having the time of his life.”

            “Not anymore, I’m not,” Louis said.

            “You do that stuff, Lou?” Liam asked, eyes growing wide. He knew his friend liked to drink a lot when he went out, but not…that.

            “That doesn’t mean you have to, Liam,” Louis responded. “I am _not_ a role model.”

            Liam had known that already, of course, but maybe for once he shouldn’t worry about being a role model either. Maybe he should loosen up; stop being so _boring_.

            “Okay,” he said, heart fluttering nervously. “I’ll try it.”

            “Liam, you really don’t have to,” Louis said, looking worriedly at his friend.

            “I know I don’t,” Liam said back. “But I want to.”

            Jared sneakily handed a little pill to Louis, who hesitated before sneaking it to Liam.

            “Block him,” Jared instructed, and Louis sighed before climbing on top of the younger band mate’s lap. Now that he was closer, Liam could see the telltale signs that his friend wasn’t quite right. His eyes were glassy, pupils blown; his cheeks a slight shade of red and his skin hot to the touch. Still, he seemed coherent enough as he spoke one last time, quietly,

            “I’m sorry I called you boring, Liam, okay? I was teasing. You don’t have to do this.”

            “You worry a lot more when you’re wasted than when you’re sober,” Liam commented. “Loosen up, Lou.”

            Liam thought he was being funny, spitting the older guy’s words back at him, but Louis’s face remained serious as Liam slipped the tablet into his mouth, swallowing easily.

            “Tell me if something feels off, you understand?” Louis instructed. Liam just laughed.

 

            When Zayn finally found Harry and Niall, they were dancing with each other, which was funny all on its own, but was funnier when he found out they were completely sober.

            “We had no choice,” Harry defended before Zayn had even said a word. “Most of the ladies here like ladies.”

            “Yeah, Malik. You know I support you, Lou and your sexualities, but did we really have to come to what appears to be a 100% gay bar?” Niall asked.

            “Yes, we did,” Zayn answered. “Louis was feeling antsy and needed someone to help him work off some energy.”

            “TMI, man,” Niall groaned while Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. Zayn knew it wasn’t the fact that Louis was with someone that bothered Harry. It was the fact that Louis was with someone that wasn’t him. Though Harry had yet to admit it, he was head over heels in love with the other guy, just as Louis was with him. Both were too stubborn to tell the other, even though it was painfully obvious the feelings were mutual so, instead, Harry pretended to be straight (like he thought he had been before meeting his current best friend) and Louis tried to erase Harry from his mind by flirting with any other attractive guy he could find. It was pathetic (even if it did make Zayn a bit of a hypocrite to say so.)

            “Is he with the bloke now?” Harry asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.

            “Yeah, but Liam is with them, so if we hurry, we can get there before the two run off to the bathroom or something.”

            “Might as well go join the party,” Harry said with a shrug. Smirking, Zayn led the way to the couches he knew the boys would be at.

            Well, where they were supposed be at.

            “Hey, you’re back!” Jared called as he saw Zayn heading towards them.

            “Where’s Louis?” Harry asked, glaring at the guy as if he suspected him of murder.          

            “I dunno,” the bartender replied, taking a long swig from his drink. “We got in a fight and he stormed off like a little bitch.”

            “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Harry screamed a bit manically, taking a step closer to the man on the couch before Niall pulled him back. Jared raised an eyebrow, but Zayn didn’t give him a chance to speak.

            “So Liam went off with him then?”

            “Liam? No,” the man said, turning his head to face a very bored looking guy in the chair opposite of him. “Chet, where’d you say Liam went off to?”

            “I don’t know, man. We were talking, I turned to order another drink and by the time I looked back, he was gone.”

            “So ‘safety first’ Liam just wandered off in a crowded club on his own?” Niall seemed to be thinking out loud, frowning at Zayn.

            “Yeah, well he wasn’t exactly in his right mind,” Chet said with an amused smirk. Zayn’s blood ran cold.

            “What do you mean? Why wasn’t he?”

            “Dude was high as a kite.”

            “ _Liam_ was high?! On what?!”

            “Just some E.”

            “Ecstasy?!”

            “Shhh!” Jared hushed, whipping around, clearly paranoid. “Yes, E.”

            “You fucking drugged him with _Ecstasy_ and then let him wander off by himself?!”

            “Nobody drugged him! He took it willingly.”

            Niall let out a low whistle and Zayn thought he may actually be shaking, but whether it was more from fear or rage, he didn’t know.

            “I swear, I’m going to fucking kill somebody.”

            “Tag team?” Harry asked, eyes still fixed pointedly at Jared.

            “No,” Niall said. “No one is killing anybody. Let’s find Louis and Liam, make sure everyone is safe and get the hell out of here.”

            Zayn still _really_ wanted to punch Louis’s almost lover, but he knew finding his friends was the main priority, so he let Niall drag both him and Harry away by the wrist.

            “Alright,” Niall spoke again once they were what he deemed a safe distance away from the other men. “I think the most obvious place to check is the bathroom.”

            The other two nodded in agreement before heading to the toilets.

            “Hold on,” Harry said as they passed the bar, narrowing his eyes. “I found Louis.”

            The other two followed his gaze and soon, their eyes landed on their older friend, whose limbs were tangled all around some guy that he was kissing feverishly.

            “Right. Well, I guess he’s okay then,” Niall said. “Off to find Li-Harry, where are you going?!”

            Harry didn’t answer, but his destination was pretty clear. If Zayn wasn’t so worried, he would have been quite amused at the way Harry marched towards his secret love, hands balled into fists as his side. If this were a cartoon, he would have a storm cloud over his head.

            “Code red,” Niall sighed, hurrying after the other boy. Zayn desperately wanted to leave them to that and go look for Liam, but figured he better be present in case he had to help Niall break up a fight.

            “Excuse me,” Harry said not-so-kindly as he reached around Louis’s newest pal, pulling roughly on his friend’s arm and making him tumble a little.

“What are you doing?!” Louis asked, words coming out more slurred than they had been last time Zayn left them. He swore he wasn’t gone _that_ long. Louis’s eyes were also red, but given the fact that his cheeks were tear-stained,Zayn didn’t think it was purely from the substance(s) he was currently on.

            “Boo, what’s wrong?” Harry asked, face softening immediately.

            “Umm, who the hell are you?” the man who Louis had been wrapped around just moments ago asked, clearly not happy about having his good time yanked away from him.

            “Go away,” Harry said, but then proceeded to go away himself, pulling Louis along with him. Niall and Zayn had no choice but to follow.

            “Haz, le’ggo,” Louis mumbled, making a half-assed attempt to pull away.

            “No. What the Hell were you thinking, Louis? That guy is way too old for you.”

            “He’s only thirty.”

            “He’s way too old for you. Besides, why do you have to do that every time you go out? You can have fun without whoring yourself out, you know.”

            That got Louis’s tears to start again, and, alarmed Harry pulled him into a tight hug.

            “I’m sorry, Lou. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that. I just don’t like seeing you kiss other people like that…”

            “Am a whore,” Louis said, completely ignoring Harry’s last sentence.

            “No you’re not.”

            “Jared said I was.”

            “Yeah, well I’m going to kill him, so his false opinion doesn’t matter.”

            “Guys,” Zayn interjected. “Sorry to interrupt or whatever, but we have to find Liam.”

            “Liam? He’s with Jared’s friend,” Louis said.

            “Not anymore,” Zayn told him. Louis’s blue eyes widened.

            “He said he would take care of him…”

            “He lied.”

            Louis’s eyes welled up with tears again, but Zayn didn’t have to deal with that, so, turning on his heel, he began the walk back to the bathrooms, not caring if the others were following or not.

            “Liam?” Zayn called, opening the bathroom door. It was only then that he noticed the others did follow. “Hey, Li? You in here?”

            He was only met with silence, so Zayn began walking past all of the stalls, looking under the doors until he came across what appeared to be a guy lying on the ground inside one of the very last ones.

            “Liam?!” Zayn asked, knocking on the stall door frantically. A gasp came from the other side and then Liam groaned,

            “Ouch, that was loud.”

            “Liam, hey, it’s Zayn. Can you open the door for me, please?”

            “No.”

            “Why not?”

            “Can’t move.”

            “Why can’t you move…?”

            “I dunno. Don’t feel good.”

            “Alright. I’m coming in, give me a sec.”

            Turning to the other guys, Zayn asked, “Do you think you could lift me up?”

            They nodded and, together, helped Zayn over the wall into the stall. He landed carefully beside Liam, whose skin was pale except the bright flush of his cheeks, sweat pouring from his body; more than Zayn had ever seen.

            “Li, shit,” the older guy gasped, dropping to his knees beside his friend and putting a hand on one rosy cheek. Though his touch was gentle, Liam winced away from the touch and groaned again.

            “What is it? What’s going on?” Niall asked from the other side of the door.

            “He’s burning up, guys,” Zayn choked, tears filling up his eyes. It wasn’t like him to show emotion like that in front of _anybody_ , but he was scared to death. _Why_ did he drag Liam out?

            “He only had one,” Louis spoke, voice higher pitched in his own fear.

            “That you know of,” Zayn said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. This wasn’t Louis’s fault. Supposedly, Liam took the drug on his own, but even if he didn’t, Louis wasn’t the one to drug him. Maybe the older guy was a little too rough with him sometimes; maybe he teased him a little too much, but Louis loved Liam just like the way he loved the other boys, which was a hell of a lot, so he would never do something that would actually harm him.

            “Open the door,” Harry instructed. “Get some more air in there.”

            Zayn did, eliciting another groan from Liam as the younger boy turned his head to bury his face in his arm.

            “So bright,” he said. “Head hurts.”

            “I know, Li, I’m sorry,” Zayn sighed hopelessly.

            “His pulse is so rapid,” Niall commented, having knelt by his friend to examine him further.

            “That’s normal,” Louis said while Liam declared that he was having a heart attack.

            “You’re not having a heart attack, babes,” Zayn told the guy gently, moving a sweaty strand of hair from his forehead. “Do you remember how many pills you took?”

            “Two, I think.”

            “Two,” Zayn repeated. “Okay. That’s not…that’s not terrible.”

            Though he spoke reassuring words, Zayn was pretty sure that he himself was actually having a heart attack, or close to it.

            “We should really get out of here,” Harry spoke. “It’ll be no time at all until someone else walks in and this is _not_ what we need to be in the news tomorrow morning.”

            “Should we get him to a hospital?” Zayn asked.

            “That will make _worse_ headlines,” Harry pointed out.

            “I don’t care about headlines, Harry!” Zayn exclaimed, and Liam flinched and groaned at the rise of his voice.

            “Sorry, Li,” Zayn apologized quickly. “But, Harry, we can deal with headlines. We _can’t_ deal with something happening to him.”

            “Nothing’s going to happen to him,” Niall said calmly. “Harry’s right. This could ruin us. _Him_. If he were in actual danger, I wouldn’t give a shit, but right now, we need to get him back to the hotel, get him some water and maybe a cold bath while we wait for that crap to wear off.”

            “Fine,” Zayn sighed after debating for almost a solid minute. “ _But_ , if he takes a turn for the worse, we’re calling an ambulance.”

            “Definitely,” Harry agreed. “Liam’s safety comes before anything, Z, for all of us.”

            Zayn nodded and reverted his eyes back down to Liam’s pale, beautiful face.

            “Come on, Li,” he said, rubbing his arm. “Do you think you can help me get you up?”

            “Why? Where are we going?”

            “Back to the hotel. We’re going to get you feeling better in no time, okay?”

            “No. Don’t want to ruin fun. I’ll just stay here. Don’t feel good.”

            “I know you don’t, and you’re not ruining anything. This club is lame anyway.”

            “I’m lame.”

            “No you’re not. Why would you say that?”

            Liam didn’t answer, and for one terrifying moment, Zayn thought he had lost consciousness, but then he mumbled, so low that Zayn thought he was hearing things,

            “Love you, Zaynie.”

            “I love you too, Li,” Zayn replied, and given the fact that no one looked at him strange, he supposed that the other man really had spoken. Heat rose to Zayn’s face and he cleared his throat, ducking his head and hoping no one noticed anything. It was stupid to react like this, he knew. He and Liam told each other that they loved the other all the time and it never meant anything, at least not to the younger boy. Now, while Liam was high on Ecstasy and alcohol, nearly passed out on a dirty bathroom floor, it really meant nothing, but Zayn couldn’t help but feel his heart swell with hope.

            “Guys,” Harry spoke.

            “Yeah.” Zayn shook himself out of his little dream world. “Come on, Li-Li. We’re going to get you feeling better.”

            “No. Don’t want to move.”

            “Please, babes. For me?”

            Slowly, Liam opened his eyes, looking over at his best friend and doing his best to focus. A small smile formed on his lips and Zayn returned it.

            “Okay,” Liam finally agreed. “Anything for you.”   

            “Gag,” Niall said and Zayn glared. “What?” the Irish guy asked.

            “ _Guys_ ,” Harry said again.

            “We’re coming, Harry, stop yelling,” Liam whined, attempting to sit up on his own. Zayn rushed to grab onto his arm and support his back, doing most of the work himself.

            Once they were both on their feet, Liam stumbled into Zayn’s side and the older man moved one arm to rest around his friend’s waist.

            “You okay?” he asked as they started walking very, very slowly out.

            “So tired.”

            “I know, but try to stay awake for me, okay?”

            “For you?”

            “For me.”

            “Okay.”

 

            “Is he alright?” the taxi driver asked once Harry had successfully hailed a cab and the boys piled in, one on top of the other.

            “He’s fine,” Niall said.

            “So hot,” Liam sighed, leaning over Zayn to roll down the window. “Feel sick.”

            The driver shot a warning look into the mirror, but Zayn waved him off, massaging Liam’s shoulder’s soothingly while blowing on the back of his neck to try to cool him down, if only just a bit.

            “That feels funny,” Liam said with a giggle. “Feels good.”

            Harry snorted and then, in a half-assed attempt to cover it up, sniffled and scratched his nose furiously. Niall was hiding a smirk as well.

            “Come on, guys,” Zayn said quietly. “He didn’t mean…not like _that.”_

“He has heightened sensitivity right now,” Harry reasoned, trying and failing to keep his facial expression even. “To _everything_. _Everywhere_.”

            Unable to stop himself, Zayn gave a quick glance downwards and saw that maybe it did feel good to the other man like _that_.

            (Zayn would be lying if he said that didn’t turn him on a little bit and, wow, he was a terrible person.)

            Luckily, they made it to the hotel without anything significant happening and somehow managed to sneak into Liam’s room without getting busted. It was truly a miracle.

            “I’ll be back, guys,” Niall announced. “I’m going to go find a thermometer.”

            “Alright,” Zayn agreed. “I’ll fill up the tub.”

            “Make sure the water is cold, but not _too_ cold,” Louis said, and Zayn realized that it was the first time he’d spoken in a while. “You don’t want his body to go into shock.”

            “Got it.”

            After settling Liam onto the bed and helping him remove the shirt he was desperately trying to shake off, Zayn went into the bathroom, plugged the tub and adjusted the temperature cold enough to hopefully lower Liam’s temperature, but not so cold as to make him sicker. As he waited for it to fill, he took a cup from the counter and poured some water before heading back out to his friend.

            “Here, doll. Water.”

            “Good,” Liam sighed, sitting up with help from Harry this time. “So thirsty.”

            “I’ve got it,” Zayn said, moving the cup from Liam’s reach as he tried to grab it. “Go easy, okay?”

            “Water, Zaynie, please.”

            “Alright.”

            Placing the cup up to Liam’s lips, Zayn tipped it back gently. As the first drops of liquid made their way down the singer’s throat, he made an appreciative noise and once again reached for the cup, which Zayn still kept from him.

            “You have to take it slow.”

            “So thirsty, Zayn…please.”

            “You know, this conversation could be taken multiple ways,” an Irish voice spoke, and Zayn rolled his eyes.

            Handing the Styrofoam cup to Harry, Zayn got off the bed and went back to the bathroom just in time to prevent the tub from overflowing. He let a bit of the water out, checked the temperature one last time and then went to get Liam.

            “It’s a bit over 101,” Niall said. “So it’s not terrible.”

            “It’s not terrible,” Zayn agreed, “but still too high.”

            “You okay?” Zayn heard Harry whisper to Louis, and with only a tiny sob, the oldest boy made his way out of the room, quickly followed by the youngest. Both Niall and Zayn sighed.

            “Alright, Li,” Zayn spoke, figuring Harry would take care of Louis. “We’re going to get you in the bath now.”

            “You guys are coming into the bathroom with me?” Liam asked, looking blearily back and forth between his two remaining friends.           

            “Um, just me, I think,” Zayn answered.

            “Oh. Okay. Don’t know how I feel about threesomes.”

            Niall shook his head, eyes filled with amusement while Zayn just smiled.

            “It’s just to cool you down, Li.”

            “Good. I’m hot.”

            “I know.”

            Carefully, Zayn helped Liam get his jeans off-leaving him in his boxers-and then scooped him up bridle-style, causing the younger boy to gasp and cling onto his shirt, eyes widening in fear.

            “I’ve got you,” Zayn assured him. Liam sighed in what seemed like contentment and buried his head into the other’s shoulder. Though it took only a few seconds to reach the bathroom, Liam had fallen asleep during the trip. Zayn couldn’t help but laugh a little bit in admiration of how cute his best friend was. He literally had the cutest best friend ever.

            The older man gave the side of the younger’s head a kiss to pull him from his slumber before lowering him carefully into the tub. Liam gasped again, but then moaned, face showing intense pleasure.

            “Feel good?” Zayn asked, stuck somewhere between amused and roused. Liam nodded, licking his lips, which did not help the latter emotion.

            “So good,” Liam sighed happily. “Was so hot.”

            “I know, babes. How’s your head?”

            As he spoke, Zayn submerged a washcloth in the water and then pulled it out and wrung it out a bit before dabbing at Liam’s chest, shoulders, face and cheeks. Liam didn’t answer at first, enjoying the cool water too much. It was starting to feel a bit erotic to Zayn when the other said,

            “Pounding.”

            It took the sober individual a moment to remember that he had asked Liam a question. About his head. His head was pounding, and Zayn should be getting no pleasure whatsoever from this.

            He was a terrible, terrible person and a worse friend.

            “I’d give you something, but I don’t think you should have any other drug in your system right now.”

            “Mmm…,” was Liam’s only reply, and did he _have_ to sound so sexual about it?!

            “Is the bath helping?” Zayn asked after a few moments of silence in which he simultaneously collected and degraded himself.

            “Helping,” Liam said, and he appeared to be half asleep again. Zayn decided to give him a few more minutes before getting him out.

            Though his eyes were a bit clearer and his cheeks less red when Liam was out of the tub, he was weak and having major balance issues, so Zayn had to help him change boxers and, well, he deserved a medal was all that he was going to say about that.

            “Is he okay?” Niall asked as Liam got situated onto the bed beside him.

            “I think so,” Zayn answered, placing the thermometer back into his friend’s mouth and holding it until it beeped. He still had a fever, but it was dropping, so Zayn started to relax a bit. “Harry and Louis haven’t come back yet?”

            “No, but Harry sent me a text. Lou is a mess, I guess. Blames himself and all that.”

            “He didn’t force the pills into Li’s mouth.”

            “I know, but I guess Liam just kept saying that he didn’t want to be boring anymore.”

            Zayn sighed, looking over at his best friend, who was finally sleeping peacefully. He was always the responsible one in the group, and they teased him about it, but truthfully, Zayn wouldn’t change that about him. He wouldn’t change _anything_ about him.

            “Well,” he finally spoke again, “tonight was a lot of things, but boring definitely wasn’t one of them.”

            “I would rather literally sit and watch paint dry with him than find him strung out on a bathroom floor again,” Niall said.

            “Never again,” Zayn said and then, playing with the damp back of Liam’s hair, “Don’t ever do that to us again, Payno.”

            Lost in the land of sleep, Liam didn’t even acknowledge his nickname, but it wasn’t like Zayn expected him to. After placing a kiss on the guy’s still too-warm cheek, Zayn collapsed down beside him, his own eyes growing heavy.

            Niall left after a few minutes, once Zayn assured him he could handle it himself now and promised to call as soon as Liam woke up. With Niall gone, Zayn climbed over Liam’s body so he could lay down facing him.

            “Good night, Li-Li,” he said quietly. “I love you so much, and I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if something had happened to you.”

            “Z…,” Liam mumbled.

            “Yeah?” Zayn asked, not sure if the boy was awake or not. He seemed to be somewhere in between and didn’t say another word, instead moving his hand around until he found Zayn’s. Clasping their fingers together, he relaxed fully again, and Zayn fell asleep rubbing circles into the other’s soft skin.

 

            Zayn woke first the next morning and, noticing that Liam was shivering, turned down the air conditioning before going to use the restroom. It took him less than two minutes but when he came back out, Liam was sitting up in bed, hoodie zipped up tight.

            “Morning, you party animal, you,” Zayn greeted with a smile, which was slightly returned.

            “Hey.”

            “How do you feel, babes?”

            Liam sighed, curling his body around Zayn as the older man took his place next to him again.

            “I’m okay,” he said. “Head still hurts though.”

            “It’s probably safe for you to have some Tylenol now,” Zayn said, “but let me check your temperature first.”

            Liam did let him, and Zayn was relieved to find that it was normal.

            “Let me go get you something to take.”

            “No,” Liam said, grabbing onto Zayn’s hand as the man started to get off the bed.

            “Just for your head, Li.”

            “No. Stay. Cuddle.”

            “How about we cuddle after I get you something to get rid of your headache?”

            “…Fine…”

            Zayn hurried while finding the Tylenol and shooting Niall and the others a quick message, and after Liam had downed the medicine, the two lay back down, limbs tangled rather comfortably together.

            “Sorry I ruined last night,” Liam finally spoke after a while of silence.

            “You didn’t ruin anything,” Zayn said, looking up into Liam’s dark brown eyes, which were in full puppy mode at that moment. “We were worried sick, but we’re not mad or anything.”

            “I was just trying to loosen up,” Liam said. “I wanted Louis to think I was fun and I wanted you to like me.”

            “I do like you, you doofus!” Zayn exclaimed. “You’re my best friend.”

            “No, I mean…I wanted you to like me like you like Louis.”

            “Like I like Louis…?”

            “Yeah.”

            “What do you mean, Li?”

            “You know…”

            “No, I really don’t.”

            Liam sighed, rubbing at his eyes furiously.

            “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”          

            “I can’t. Please just tell me what you mean because I don’t ‘like’ Louis any differently than the other boys.”

            “You don’t, like, have a crush on him or something?”

            “What? No. No! What made you think that?!”

            “I don’t know! Just…like…the way you look at him and stuff.”

            Zayn couldn’t help it then and he laughed, and loudly. Liam looked up at him, eyes showing something that resembled hurt, and the smile was wiped off Zayn’s face immediately.

            “I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you, it’s just...that was…unexpected.”

            “Okay.”

            Liam’s tone was cold and Zayn narrowed his eyes, putting on his fake angry face as he crawled on top of the other guy.

            “Don’t you take that tone with me, mister,” he said, tickling the top of Liam’s thigh, where he was most sensitive. A loud cackle erupted from the man as his hips bucked up and wow, okay, what made Zayn think this was a good idea?

            “I’m sorry!” Liam shouted in surrender. “I love you, Zaynie! I’m sorry!”

            Smiling, Zayn rolled onto his stomach beside Liam again, finding his friend’s hand and gently stroking the skin as he caught his breath.

            “Thank you for staying with me last night,” Liam spoke again after a minute, looking into Zayn’s eyes, his own eyes softer.

            “I wouldn’t have left you like that, Li. I’m just sorry you felt you had to put yourself in danger for us to enjoy your company.”

            “I think I’ll just stay away from clubs from now on.”

            “Well, I’ll stay away with you.”

            “You don’t have to do that, Z. You like that stuff. That’s okay. It’s just not me.”

            “I might like going out and partying every once in a while, but I like you more.”

            “Liar.”

            “Am not! I love you Li-Li.”

            “I love you too.”

            “No, but…I _really_ love you. I’m…I’m in love with you, and I wasn’t planning on telling you because I don’t want anything to happen to our friendship, but last night…I was terrified. Deep down, I guess I knew you would be okay, but the fear was in the back of my mind; the thought that something could happen to you…That I could lose you and never have told you how I really feel about you. So…I just…I love you, Liam, and I understand if you don’t feel the same way. You probably don’t, and you can pretend I didn’t say a word, but I just wanted to get it out there so you will know how much you are loved, just how you are. Please…don’t let this ruin what we already have.”

            For an uncomfortable amount of time, Liam simply stared at the man who had just poured his heart out, his mouth slightly agape. Zayn swallowed.

            “Li? Say something. I’m sorry.”

            “Zayn,” Liam finally spoke, voice soft. “I think I’m hallucinating.”

            Zayn laughed a bit, sitting up and scooting closer towards the guy, who was also upright.

            “If I just gave you a really long, cheesy, rambled speech in your hallucination, then it was actually reality.”

            “But that’s only happened in my daydreams.”

            “You have daydreams of that hot mess?”

            “Well, I mean, in my dreams, there’s usually a candlelight dinner, but this works too.”

            Zayn laughed again, though he felt a slight prickle in his eyes. What in the world was happening to him?

            “Well…can I get a rain check on the dinner?”

            “ _Candlelight_ dinner.”

            “Of course.”

            “Yes, I suppose you can.”

            Smiling, Zayn nestled himself into Liam’s side, sighing contently.

            “I love you, Liam Payne.”

            “I love you too, Zayn Malik.”

 

            It was after noon by the time Zayn and Liam pulled themselves out of bed, and that was only because Niall had come pounding on the door, claiming he needed to see that Liam was alive with his own eyes. Zayn jumped in the shower while Niall ordered pizza and by the time he got back out to the bedroom (having thrown on a pair of Liam’s clothes), Louis and Harry had joined. They seemed to be doing well, as Louis was sat in Harry’s lap, the two kissing each other every now and then.

            “Well, Payno, something good came out of your near death experience,” Niall commented, clapping the singer on the back.

            “More than one thing,” Liam said with a smile. Niall raised a questioning eyebrow, so, smiling right back at his new boyfriend, Zayn sat himself sideways onto his lap, arms around his neck. Niall’s eyes grew wide.

            “Christ.”

            The couples laughed and then Louis got up to hug their blonde friend.

            “Don’t worry, Niall. We still love you. And we’ll go to a straight club tonight! Just as long as Liam promises to behave himself, of course.”

            “Actually, I think we’ll skip the club tonight,” Zayn said. “I believe we’ve got a candlelight dinner to attend to.”

            “How boring,” Louis teased with a wink. Zayn smiled, turning to face the man he loved.

            “I think it’s perfect.”

            Liam smiled, leaned forward to kiss Zayn’s cheek and then, in his ear, whispered, “And maybe after that, we can take care of that sexual frustration you’ve got going on.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I am pretty new to fan fiction/writing in general, but I really enjoy it and would love more practice, so if you have any prompts/requests, send them to my tumblr! I do not know how to add a direct link, so copy and paste. Sorry, I'm technology challenged :/ 
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/it-hurts-doesnt-it
> 
> I will do any 1D pairing and (almost) any prompt. Please no incest or child play. (Not trying to shame anyone who likes that, I just can't do it for personal reasons.) However, step/foster siblings is fine. Just send me a message with your prompt, the pairing, things you definitely want and things you definitely DO NOT want. I prefer it to not be anonymous so I can ask questions if I need to, but I won't tell who gave me the prompt if you don't want me to, and if you really want to remain anonymous, that is fine :) 
> 
> Even if you don't have a prompt, feel free to follow! I'm still getting used to it all, but I need more blogs to follow and I always follow back! Alright, thanks again.


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